• Jonathan briefs BuhariMutinous soldiers, yesterday, arrested Malian President Ibrahim Boubakar Keïta and Prime Minister Boubou Cisse. The nation’s opposition group, M5, had insisted on Keita’s removal as a condition to ending the political impasse in the landlocked West African nation. The position, however, conflicts with the stance of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which had on several occasions, backed a regime change anchored on democratic tenets. Buhari and four other ECOWAS leaders had last month visited the Malian capital in search for truce followed by a virtual extraordinary summit of the sub-regional body. The Nigerian first citizen lauded Jonathan for what he called “the stamina you have displayed on the Mali issue” hinting of more consultations with the ECOWAS chairman and Nigerien leader, Mahamadou Issoufou.

Source: The Guardian August 19, 2020 03:33 UTC